For the past month or so, I’ve been using the EveryMove app to track my workouts. I  heard about the program through SweatPink, and was excited to test it out.

EveryMove gives you points for your workouts, which you apply towards rewards. There’s a huge database of activities to choose from. Everything I do I’ve found easily (running, biking, swimming, yoga, boot camp classes), but you can find just about anything in there. Roller Derby?  Shuffleboard? Mopping? They’ve got you covered!

Most of the rewards are discounts, but you can also earn donations for a charity. It seems the choices rotate — the first three rewards I worked for were $1 donations to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  Lately I’ve been working towards donations to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I’ve earned $4 for them so far, and I’m getting close to another dollar!

You can manually enter workouts, but EveryMove can also link it to dozens of apps/sites. Running, of course, is my favorite way to #sweatpink … and I import all my runs into Strava, I was able to link Strava to EveryMove and it’s fantastic — all my workouts are automatically imported!

I still have to manually add other workouts, but it’s quick and easy to do from my phone. Earning points gives me incentive to keep my EveryMove account up-to-date. In addition to the rewards, there are badges. I’m not sure what they all mean, but so far I’ve earned Bodhisattva for logging 10 yoga activities within 30 days, Road Warrior for running 26.2 miles in a week, and Orange Crush for earning seven orange hearts in a row. (You get an orange heart every day you log an activity. This means I did not take any rest days in seven days … but don’t worry, I”m not overtraining. My ‘rest’ days often still include yoga!)

The orange heart can also be flaming of you unlock a very active bonus. With many long workouts and/or multiple workouts a day, I earn these quite frequently! Consistently working out also increases your Level. You ‘Level Up’ by earning a certain number of points in a timeframe. I seem to be quickly climbing!

There is a social aspect to the app, too. You can add your friends — Facebook, Contacts, RunKeeper or Fitbit. I haven’t worked with this feature at all yet. I’m still pretty happy using it solo for now.

EveryMove is available for iPhone and Android, or you can use the website at http://everymove.org. The iPhone app was recently updated, but I’m still waiting for the new Android version. It’s still fully functional, but I think there are some design changes coming.

Disclaimer: I reviewed this app as part of a SweatPink campaign … but EveryMove is a free app. I was not compensated in any way. Opinions are my own.

I’ve received Redstar coupons in race goodie bags before — $500 gift certificates to their site, which sells sunglasses and watches. There has to be a catch, right?

Well, of course there is. You are responsible for shipping and handling, so it’s not actually free. I was tempted to try it out in the past — I figured they were at least worth the shipping cost, which seems to be $14.95 per item.

Since I had heard of the brand and considered purchasing, I was excited to be contacted by the Media Talent Agency for a review. I was able to select a pair of sunglasses to test out, and I chose a pair I could use running, model RS93. The website listed limited information, but showed the glasses with orange lenses, with a gray circle that said “included polarized gray lens.” I took that to mean they came with extra lenses … and I was right. I love that. It was a little disappointing that only the gray lenses are polarized … but I’m still glad I have the two sets.

The frames are a little big on me, but that’s to be expected. I’m pretty small, and the sunglasses are unisex. But they are lightweight and comfortable, and they sat nicely on top of my head when I started running before the sun came up.

The quality is good. I can’t say if they’re worth the full $150 since I’m far to cheap to pay that much for something I’m likely to lose, break or drop during a run … but they’re nicer than my $20-30 pairs. I may pick up another!

Want to try them out for yourself? You can get a $500 gift card with code MTA14.

Shop now!

Disclaimer: I received a pair of sunglasses for free in exchange for my review. If you make a purchase using my link, I will receive a commission. Opinions are my own.

In the past couple years, I’ve been working on cleaning up my diet. It’ll never be perfect (that’s hard … and no fun!), but day to day, I do what I can to make sure I’m fueling my body with healthy foods.

I’ve greatly limited the amount of processed foods I’m eating, and make sure the ones I still do contain ingredients I recognize and trust.  I’ve really missed the convenience of veggie burgers. Once a staple in my diet, most have been nixed due to their science-experiment ingredient lists.

I was happy and excited when I got the opportunity to review Sunshine Burgers — organic, vegan and gluten-free burgers that come in a variety of flavors.

They are perfect when I’m in the need of a quick mini dinner after en evening workout, or when I don’t have time to cook a complicated meal.

I was sent samples of six (!) varieties of Sunshine Burgers to try. The first one I dug into was Garden Herb. I tried it plain — just cooked in the toaster oven. It came out crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and I loved the taste. I actually didn’t come up with anything creative to do with this flavor, but the next time I wanted one, I added some stone ground mustard. Delicious! And the ingredient list? Nothing to complain about here: organic cooked brown rice, organic ground raw sunflower seeds, organic carrots, organic spices, sea salt.

I took a suggestion off the box and made “meatballs” out of the Shiitake Mushroom flavor. No, they didn’t taste like meatballs … but they held up nicely and were delicious served with zucchini “pasta” on a particularly healthy-eating day. I just heated up a burger part way, rolled into balls, and cooked for a few minutes in the toaster oven to firm them up.

I liked this idea so much that I did it again with the Hemp & Sage Breakfast flavor.

I also went the breakfast route with the Hemp & Sage burger. I crumbled it into pieces and put into a scramble with kale and eggs. It may not look all that appetizing in this photo (sorry!), but it was wonderful!

I added a Loco Chipotle burger to some leftover chili, a natural match. Once again, not the most appetizing photo … but it was really good!

My chili is pretty simple. I roasted two poblano peppers and a small onion. Then I combined the peppers and onion in a pot with two cans of beans (I used pinto and white beans this time around), a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. Add chili powder, cayenne, salt, cumin and garlic powder to taste.  I stirred in some cooked quinoa when it was ready to serve. That Loco Chipotle burger was a nice addition when I didn’t quite have enough left for lunch!

Similar to the Loco Chipotle is the Black Bean Southwest burger. I enjoyed that one by itself, too, but that could work in tacos and burritos. I also got to try the Falafel burger. Tasty, but it needed a little something. I’m thinking a tahini sauce would do the trick!

My local Whole Foods carries Sunshine Burgers, as do some of the Safeway stores in the area. If you want to find them in your area, they have a handy store locator.

Disclaimer: I received Sunshine Burgers for free through my involvement with the Sweat Pink Ambassador Program.  I was not compensated any other way. Opinions are my own.

I was given the opportunity to review the Vega One Nutritional Shake as part of their #OneChange initiative. In the new year, people are always looking for ways to better themselves. Can Vega One help people make #OneChange that will make a difference?

I relate most to this guy here:

The Serial Snacker. I always eat breakfast … but I also always need a mid-morning snack. And an afternoon snack. And usually a bedtime snack. I was hoping Vega One could help my breakfast smoothies last all morning long!

Pictured smoothies may not all contain Vega One … but they look the same, anyway. I just wanted to illustrate my love of smoothies!

I first tried a Vega One packet mixed by itself with water. I received the French Vanilla flavor. The taste was pretty good, but the texture was a bit gritty. I thought I possibly didn’t mix it well enough, or didn’t use enough water … but I could always notice the texture in my smoothie concoctions as well. I’m not used to mixing powders into my smoothies, so maybe that’s something any protein-powder users wouldn’t notice as much. It’s not bad, I did still enjoy all of my Vega One concoctions!

The vanilla flavor tasted good with whatever I threw in there. Spinach / banana / berry  is a common mix for me, but lately I’ve been getting a little crazy with my smoothies. Spinach / beet / carrot was tasty as well. I think my favorite Vega One mix was spinach / banana / mango. Yum! I keep things simple and don’t usually measure, but I’d guess it was a generous handful of spinach, one banana, about a cup of water, about a cup of cut-up mango and a packet of Vega One French Vanilla. Add some ice if your mango isn’t frozen like mine was!

As for mending my snacking ways? Well, some mornings it worked …. and others I was still looking for my snack. Oh well. At least I felt good about getting all those extra nutrients in me!

click to view larger!

I think Vega One would make a good snack if you were to replace something you’d usually grab with a shake or bar. I try to bring healthy snacks to work with me every day … but sometimes I don’t pack enough, or crave a treat. Vega One would surely fit the bill, and would be easy to store in a desk drawer!

Disclaimer: I received  Vega One samples for free through my involvement with the Sweat Pink Ambassador Program.  I was not compensated any other way. Opinions are my own.